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According to Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins, Nail Yakupov is not on the trade block.

It’s possible, however, the Oilers winger won’t be in the lineup Thursday either, when the club takes on the Tampa Bay Lightning (5:30 p.m.) at theTampa Bay Times Forum.

Yakupov could be a healthy scratch for the third time this season, having been benched in the latter stages of the Oilers 4-3 overtime win over the Florida Panthers Tuesday night.

Linus Omark has been called up from the Oklahoma City Barons and could take his place in the lineup.

“I see Yak trying so hard to be better defensively and to learn this defensive system that we’re trying to implement,” said Eakins. “I thought he made a couple of good plays defensively (Tuesday), I saw the thought process go through his head on the ice. That’s encouraging for me.

“I also wanted to let him know that all these reports in the media, the people that are making up trades for him are absolutely, 100% untrue. This kid is not going anywhere.”

Yakupov has struggled this season at both ends of the ice. He has a goal and two assists in 14 games with a team-worst, minus 13 rating.

“Guys like Joe Thornton, the kid here (Steven) Stamkos, those guys struggled early in their careers and they turned out to be pretty good players,” Eakins said. “Nail Yakupov is not being shopped, he’s not going anywhere and I wanted him to hear that from me, look me in my eye, and let him know that we’re attached at the hip.

“We’re going to make him a better player and it’s OK to struggle. I let him know about Thornton and Stamkos. That’s part of the process. He’s 20 years old and we’re not suddenly going to give up on a guy because he’s going through a rough stretch. All of what’s out there about him being shopped is 100% untrue.”

Eakins and Yakupov had a lengthy on-ice discussion during practice Wednesday. The winger then went and took part in skating drills exclusive to players not suiting up.

“With Yak there were a ton of encouraging signs for him in (Tuesday’s) game,” Eakins said. “He will eventually score. But the first thing we need out of Nail is responsible defensive play. And it’s not only Nail, it’s every guy in our group.”

Yakupov was stapled to the bench in the last half of the third period against the Panthers as the Oilers were trying to protect a two-goal lead.

They didn’t, as the Panthers took the game into overtime, where Yakupov again was a spectator.

“I think I didn’t play him after the eight and-a-half minute mark, somewhere around there,” Eakins said. “I just thought that we had enough forwards that were playing really well defensively. It wasn’t about protecting our team, it was more about protecting the kid.

“I thought he had done enough well in the game defensively and tried hard enough that I just didn’t want anything to go wrong for him and we had enough guys to cover it off.”

Despite giving up two goals in the third period, Eakins felt the Oilers played well in the frame and limited the Panthers scoring opportunities.

In overtime, the Oilers got an early power play and went on to win the game on Mark Arcobello’s second of the contest.

“Sitting for eight minutes seems to be a negative spin for him, but it wasn’t,” Eakins said. “I was happy with his game and I just wanted it to end there and protect him.

“Then you get into the four-on-four, and I thought I was going to use him. But he’d been sitting on the bench for a while and you’re wondering if he was going to be OK? But I had the guys on the ice that I wanted for the first part of the four-on-three and then it ended up ending early.”

According to Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins, Nail Yakupov is not on the trade block.

It’s likely, however, the Oilers winger won’t be in the lineup Thursday either, when the club takes on the Tampa Bay Lightning (5:30 p.m.) at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

By all indications, Yakupov will be a healthy scratch for the third time this season, having been benched in the latter stages of the Oilers 4-3 overtime win over the Florida Panthers Tuesday night.

Linus Omark has been called up from the Oklahoma City Barons to take his place in the lineup.

“I see Yak trying so hard to be better defensively and to learn this defensive system that we’re trying to implement,” said Eakins. “I thought he made a couple of good plays defensively (Tuesday), I saw the thought process go through his head on the ice. That’s encouraging for me.

“I also wanted to let him know that all these reports in the media, the people that are making up trades for him are absolutely,

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